36 days. Unfortunately, this is the countdown until Dallas calls me home and all of a sudden, my days in Europe are coming to an end, faster than I ever could have imagined. I’ve noticed that all of my past blog posts have been about my travels to other cities, but I kind of wanted to take a minute to talk about my experience as a whole and the city that stole a little piece of my heart, Granada. For those of you who have studied abroad, maybe you will be able to relate to this, and to those of you who are going to study abroad or even thinking about it, maybe this can be a small piece of advice from someone who has been in the shoes you are about to put on.
Before studying abroad, you will receive information on how to make the transition within this new country, how to adjust, how to deal with culture shock, etc. You’ll get lost on the Internet going from article to article about others’ experiences and their time abroad. At first, it’s hard to imagine going through any type of emotional rollercoaster while studying abroad, because you’re LIVING in a new country! What could you possibly have to worry about? Everyone’s experience abroad is different and varies, but in a way they are all the same. Everyone experiences their own little bumps along the way, some smaller and bigger than others. Whether that bump is missing your friends, family, college town, or maybe even your favorite food (mine was peanut butter and imagine how I felt when I couldn’t find it in Spain for MONTHS.) You might have roommate struggles, an issue with your host family, a hard time finding friends, the list goes on and on. If I’ve learned anything throughout these past few months, it is that these feelings are NORMAL. Completely, 100%, normal and they tend to happen to everyone at some point.
When I first arrived to Spain, I was so drawn to the new culture. I wanted to try all types of food, meet locals, and become fully immersed in the country. You start to do as the Spaniards do and go out as many nights as you can, schoolwork is a breeze, and you’re traveling every single weekend. WOO HOO. Well, this “high” on my roller coaster lasted for about two months. Then, uh oh, it felt like all of these sudden thoughts came swarming into my head.
“What do you mean there’s three whole months until I see my family?!”
“There’s no spice to any of this food…”
“I have to have five minute, cold showers for how much longer?”
“WHERE’S MY WIFI?”
“Why do these people talk so fast?”
“What if my friends forget about me while I’m gone…?”
You tend to start to feel kind of bad, because you’re supposed to love this experience, right? Not have moments where you feel lost and lonely in this unfamiliar place. Well, yes, but more importantly, you’re supposed to LEARN from this experience. These struggles turn into lessons, and once that happens, you find your happy medium. You’ve learned to accept all of these changes, differences, and eventually they become somewhat normal. It’s hard to believe that I’m at the point where it makes me tear up even thinking about leaving Granada and the AMAZING individuals that I've met along the way. I must sound crazy, but it’s true I promise! It’s hard to describe or explain to others who haven’t been in your shoes. My advice to anyone going abroad is to push through these struggles. That’s the only real solution. Use the support system you have with you, talk to friends who are going through the same situation, go out and explore parts of the city you’ve yet to see. As hard as it was, I can really say that because of that extra push, I have learned so much more about myself than I EVER could have imagined and have had the experience of a lifetime. I’ve learned what I can handle, what’s truly important to me in life, who my true friends are, my personal strengths/weaknesses, etc. My time in Spain has been a growing experience and boy, do I feel like I have changed. I see my country through a new pair of eyes, I’ve found new passions that have affected my future and where I want to go with a career, had interactions with people who inspire me to be a better person every day and chase my dreams. In the end, sure, there were a few bumps along the way. Would I change any part of the four months that have gone by in the blink of an eye? Nope, not one bit.
Before studying abroad, you will receive information on how to make the transition within this new country, how to adjust, how to deal with culture shock, etc. You’ll get lost on the Internet going from article to article about others’ experiences and their time abroad. At first, it’s hard to imagine going through any type of emotional rollercoaster while studying abroad, because you’re LIVING in a new country! What could you possibly have to worry about? Everyone’s experience abroad is different and varies, but in a way they are all the same. Everyone experiences their own little bumps along the way, some smaller and bigger than others. Whether that bump is missing your friends, family, college town, or maybe even your favorite food (mine was peanut butter and imagine how I felt when I couldn’t find it in Spain for MONTHS.) You might have roommate struggles, an issue with your host family, a hard time finding friends, the list goes on and on. If I’ve learned anything throughout these past few months, it is that these feelings are NORMAL. Completely, 100%, normal and they tend to happen to everyone at some point.
When I first arrived to Spain, I was so drawn to the new culture. I wanted to try all types of food, meet locals, and become fully immersed in the country. You start to do as the Spaniards do and go out as many nights as you can, schoolwork is a breeze, and you’re traveling every single weekend. WOO HOO. Well, this “high” on my roller coaster lasted for about two months. Then, uh oh, it felt like all of these sudden thoughts came swarming into my head.
“What do you mean there’s three whole months until I see my family?!”
“There’s no spice to any of this food…”
“I have to have five minute, cold showers for how much longer?”
“WHERE’S MY WIFI?”
“Why do these people talk so fast?”
“What if my friends forget about me while I’m gone…?”
You tend to start to feel kind of bad, because you’re supposed to love this experience, right? Not have moments where you feel lost and lonely in this unfamiliar place. Well, yes, but more importantly, you’re supposed to LEARN from this experience. These struggles turn into lessons, and once that happens, you find your happy medium. You’ve learned to accept all of these changes, differences, and eventually they become somewhat normal. It’s hard to believe that I’m at the point where it makes me tear up even thinking about leaving Granada and the AMAZING individuals that I've met along the way. I must sound crazy, but it’s true I promise! It’s hard to describe or explain to others who haven’t been in your shoes. My advice to anyone going abroad is to push through these struggles. That’s the only real solution. Use the support system you have with you, talk to friends who are going through the same situation, go out and explore parts of the city you’ve yet to see. As hard as it was, I can really say that because of that extra push, I have learned so much more about myself than I EVER could have imagined and have had the experience of a lifetime. I’ve learned what I can handle, what’s truly important to me in life, who my true friends are, my personal strengths/weaknesses, etc. My time in Spain has been a growing experience and boy, do I feel like I have changed. I see my country through a new pair of eyes, I’ve found new passions that have affected my future and where I want to go with a career, had interactions with people who inspire me to be a better person every day and chase my dreams. In the end, sure, there were a few bumps along the way. Would I change any part of the four months that have gone by in the blink of an eye? Nope, not one bit.